IN 2026
FROM FIREFIGHT
TO FUTURE
OPERATING RETAIL IN THE AGE OF AI
SALES & MONETIZATION
AI brings growth to fruition: more relevant, faster, more profitable – along the entire customer journey.
- Omnichannel & Personalization
- Retail Media & Data Ads
- Search, Merchandising & Category
- Pricing & Promotion Control
- Service, Loyalty & Commitment
OPERATIONS & RESILIENCE
Out of the firefight: AI stabilizes availability, reduces costs and increases resilience – from the store to the supply chain.
- Demand, Supply & Replenishment
- Store Ops & Workforce Management
- Supply Chain Execution
- Shrink, Loss & Fraud
- Returns & Reverse Logistics
DATA, PLATFORM & TRUST
To enable AI to scale: clean data, clear responsibilities and secure governance – from pilot to production operation.
- Omnichannel & Personalization
- Retail Media & Data Ads
- AR, VR & Virtual Shopping
- Seamless Payment & Checkout
- Smart Stores & IoT
RETAIL NXT 2026 Program
Renowned experts and thought leaders from retail, technology, and research shared their experiences, presented innovative ideas, and provided valuable insights into the future of the industry at RETAIL NXT 2026. Inspiring, approachable, and honest.
- 09:30
- -
- 10:30 p.m.
- Main Stage
RETAIL NXT kicks off with a compact opening session that immediately focuses on the future: How is AI changing the retail world? How can sustainability and profitability be intelligently combined? And how...
- 10:30
- -
- 11:00 p.m.
- 11:00
- -
- 11:30 p.m.
- Main Stage
With the opening of its first flagship stores, flaconi has expanded its presence to include a brick-and-mortar sales channel. In this session, the responsible C-level executives will share their perspectives on the past two years...
- 11:00
- -
- 11:30 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
How does Generative AI evolve from a specialized tool to a company-wide capability? Tchibo is developing an internal agent platform that empowers employees to design their own AI agents, integrate data sources, and process information using natural language...
- 11:00
- -
- 12:00 p.m.
- NXT Studio 1
The retail sector is facing a radical redefinition: It's no longer just about digitalization, but about genuine, operational intelligence. In this introductory/masterclass, Sandra Schwinn, Tatjana Rietz, and Andreas Marek will demonstrate...
- 11:00
- -
- 12:00 p.m.
- NXT Studio 2
While retail companies invest millions in customer experiences and e-commerce, one group is often left behind: employees in stores, warehouses, and field service – even though they are the ones who have daily impact on customer satisfaction, efficiency, and brand image...
- 11:00
- -
- 12:00 p.m.
- NXT Studio 3
The retail sector is under increasing pressure to transform: rising customer expectations along the customer journey, margin and cost pressures, volatile demand, and high complexity between headquarters and branches, as well as in the interaction with partners and...
- 11:00
- -
- 12:00 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
What if targeted measures against a few particularly costly abuse patterns could simultaneously and significantly improve your margin, NPS, and conversion rates? For most retailers, this results in...
- 11:30
- -
- 12:00 p.m.
- Main Stage
“Data is the new raw material of the digital age.” This statement has long since become a standard mantra in the modern business world. But anyone who looks closely will recognize a paradoxical problem: Many companies are drowning…
- 11:30
- -
- 12:00 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
Customers enter their purchase intent directly into the search bar, yet too often they end up on irrelevant or empty results pages, even though the right product is actually in stock. At the same time, the focus is shifting...
- 12:00
- -
- 13:00 p.m.
- 12:00
- -
- 12:30 p.m.
- Store of the Future
What will AI look like in retail when it truly works? Experience the Store of the Future with a guided tour of our booth – featuring ServiceNow and adesso, from personal interaction...
- 13:00
- -
- 13:30 p.m.
- Main Stage
German retailers have been investing significant sums in digital technologies at the customer interface for years. Nevertheless, margins are stagnating in many places. Which initiatives have actually achieved measurable results – and what prerequisites...
- 13:00
- -
- 13:30 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
Hanshow's Store Digital Twin is changing the way retailers create value. Connected store data is transformed into a continuously updated digital twin of the physical store. By combining...
- 13:00
- -
- 14:00 p.m.
- NXT Studio 1
Agentic AI in retail won't just recommend — it will act: reordering stock, adjusting prices, resolving supply issues. But an agent is only as good as the ground it stands...
- 13:00
- -
- 14:00 p.m.
- NXT Studio 2
Whether in customer service, reorders, or constant questions about one's own data: Agentic AI offers enormous potential in retail, but also means thousands of inquiries about models – every single day....
- 13:00
- -
- 14:00 p.m.
- NXT Studio 3
Personalized customer experiences are considered one of the most important success factors in modern retail. For consumers, availability, price, and interaction with the company are paramount. Behind the scenes, this means...
- 13:00
- -
- 14:00 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
Agentic AI is currently a hot topic in the retail sector – but few sessions demonstrate how the technology actually works and bridges the gap between strategy and operational implementation. In...
- 13:00
- -
- 13:30 p.m.
- Store of the Future
What will AI look like in retail when it truly works? Experience the Store of the Future with a guided tour of our booth – featuring ServiceNow and adesso, from personal interaction...
- 13:30
- -
- 14:00 p.m.
- Main Stage
AI agents are changing commerce from two sides simultaneously: They are transforming how companies operate – and how customers shop. This dual disruption is happening right now, not sometime in the future. Two retailers demonstrate what this means...
- 13:30
- -
- 14:00 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
In this session, we will use our own case study to demonstrate how Steinbach is transforming its seasonal customer service in the B2B and B2C sectors step by step from reactive ticket processing to an AI-supported, scalable service process...
- 14:00
- -
- 14:30 p.m.
- Main Stage
How can order management become a strategic lever for modern commerce? In this joint session, Deichmann and fulfillmenttools will provide insights into the transformation of an established commerce landscape into a modern one...
- 14:00
- -
- 14:30 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
Instead of searching for individual recipes, Agentic AI enables a completely new way of cooking: inspiring, personalized, and context-aware. Using the Cookidoo Assistant as an example, we show how a simple question...
- 14:00
- -
- 14:30 p.m.
- NXT Studio 1
Table 1: Real-time Data in Retail: Insights from Schwarz Digits and MongoDB. 14.000 stores. Millions of transactions. Who really knows what's currently in stock? Schwarz Digits and MongoDB show how...
- 14:00
- -
- 14:30 p.m.
- NXT Studio 2
Many retailers are caught in operational firefighting: legacy systems ensure business continuity but hinder speed and real-time capability. At the same time, transformation must not jeopardize ongoing business. This C-level roundtable...
- 14:00
- -
- 14:30 p.m.
- NXT Studio 3
How do you create a consistent customer experience across 40 million products, diverse product ranges, and digital and in-store touchpoints? Thalia demonstrates how to transform from an in-house PIM system that has evolved organically to...
- 14:00
- -
- 14:30 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
The demand for content is growing rapidly – but traditional content supply chains are increasingly unable to keep pace with the required speed, scalability, and efficiency. 49% of executives have...
- 14:30
- -
- 14:45 p.m.
- 14:30
- -
- 15:00 p.m.
- Store of the Future
What will AI look like in retail when it truly works? Experience the Store of the Future with a guided tour of our booth – featuring ServiceNow and adesso, from personal interaction...
- 14:45
- -
- 15:15 p.m.
- Main Stage
Agentic commerce could fundamentally change the rules of the game. When AI agents search for, evaluate, and buy products, power dynamics shift along the customer journey. What role do brand, price, trust, and... play?
- 14:45
- -
- 15:15 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
Your customers are already actively using your merchant app – but are they also using it to pay? Often, the fear of high implementation costs simply outweighs the desire to become independent of expensive third-party providers...
- 14:45
- -
- 15:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 1
Today's customers expect instant, intelligent, and personalized interactions – across voice, chat, and digital service channels. At the same time, businesses face the challenge of delivering modern AI experiences without losing control over their data...
- 14:45
- -
- 15:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 2
The biggest obstacle to corporate innovation is trying to develop everything in-house. However, in the fiercely competitive retail sector, success goes to those who evaluate and adopt cutting-edge technologies the fastest. This masterclass shows how...
- 14:45
- -
- 15:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
Generative AI is transforming software development at a breathtaking pace – and with it, the entire IT organization. What does this mean specifically for collaboration, architecture, and organization? We assess what is currently realistic...
- 15:15
- -
- 15:45 p.m.
- Main Stage
How can branch teams be freed from administrative burdens so they can fully focus on customers again? In this practical fireside chat, Christoph Enzinger (MPREIS) and Alexandrina Urzhanova (Zebra) will share their insights...
- 15:15
- -
- 15:45 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
The physical store is evolving from a digitized price tag to an intelligent data ecosystem. Networked shelves, real-time data, and automated processes create new opportunities to make operations more efficient, increase product availability, and free up employees...
- 15:45
- -
- 16:15 p.m.
- Main Stage
Can a 131-year-old heritage brand be among the winners of the AI revolution? FALKE is convinced: Yes. For more than a century, FALKE has continuously evolved without compromising its identity...
- 15:45
- -
- 16:15 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
The retail sector is under immense pressure to change: rising personnel costs, a shortage of skilled workers, volatile customer traffic, and simultaneously higher employee expectations for flexibility and participation. Together, toom and plano demonstrate how modern workforce management...
- 15:45
- -
- 16:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 1
What if SAP Operations could do more than keep the business running? Join this exclusive CIO Roundtable to discover how adidas leverages SAP on AWS to strengthen resilience, accelerate innovation,...
- 15:45
- -
- 16:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 2
toom stands for DIY enthusiasts who don't do things halfway – projects should succeed, and for that, the right product must be available, whether ordered online or picked up in-store. But...
- 15:45
- -
- 16:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 3
What if your margin is leaking before the shopper even reaches checkout? Bad stock, price, location, and task data trigger waste, rework, shrink, and lost sales. In this breakout, participants...
- 15:45
- -
- 16:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
Creating and maintaining master data for articles is often complex, error-prone, and resource-intensive. But what if an agent not only enters data into SAP, but also compares and completes information across systems and independently generates further...?
- 16:15
- -
- 16:45 p.m.
- Store of the Future
What will AI look like in retail when it truly works? Experience the Store of the Future with a guided tour of our booth – featuring ServiceNow and adesso, from personal interaction...
- 16:45
- -
- 17:15 p.m.
- Main Stage
Digital sovereignty is increasingly becoming a strategic success factor for retailers. Robert Zores, CDIO of REWE digital, and Urs Möller, Country Manager of Coolblue, discuss how retailers can gain control over their data...
- 16:45
- -
- 17:15 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
In this best practice example, Zebra Technologies demonstrates how retailers can take their teams to the next level with the right tools. Experience the synergy between Workcloud Sync and the WS301 wearable...
- 16:45
- -
- 17:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 1
By bringing payment control into your own app, you also assume a new strategic responsibility. But how exactly do you protect the sensitive interfaces in the background without compromising the smooth customer experience?
- 16:45
- -
- 17:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 2
Workforce management is often still understood today as simply personnel deployment planning. In reality, however, it increasingly determines how flexibly, economically, and effectively companies can operate in their day-to-day business. This is because fluctuating demand...
- 16:45
- -
- 17:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 3
Customers are increasingly using AI to seek advice and make purchasing decisions – both online and in brick-and-mortar stores. Practical examples demonstrate how AI-supported customer advice can be integrated...
- 16:45
- -
- 17:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
AI isn't just changing how consumers discover products, it's reshaping how they buy them. As AI agents become a new channel for discovery, recommendation and purchasing, what does it take...
- 17:15
- -
- 17:45 p.m.
- Main Stage
Agentic Commerce challenges the fundamental assumptions of retail upon which brands like Breuninger have always been built. What if the purchase decision is no longer made on-site, but in a dialogue between customer...
- 17:15
- -
- 17:45 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
Customer identity makes ecommerce businesses tick, but only if it's done the right way. Digital storefronts deal with UX and security challenges across the funnel–from converting more anonymous users and...
- 17:45
- -
- 18:15 p.m.
- Main Stage
What characterizes successful leadership today? How do brands evolve in an increasingly digital world? And what changes will shape business and society in the coming years? A personal conversation...
- 18:15
- -
- 18:20 p.m.
- Main Stage
- 18:20
- -
- 19:00 p.m.
- Main Stage
Fast. Bold. Exciting. At the Newcomer Battle, innovative retail tech startups pitch their solutions live on the main stage – in just 5 minutes. The audience votes directly via app and chooses...
- 19:00
- -
- 22:30 p.m.
- Foyer
Experience the spectacular RETAIL NXT networking event! As promised, a special act awaits you. Enjoy delicious food and refreshing drinks as we wind down the evening in a relaxed atmosphere. Take advantage of...
- 07:00
- -
- 08:00 p.m.
Fresh air, relaxed conversation, and a bit of exercise: Early risers from the retail sector meet for a morning run, enjoying plenty of good vibes. Meeting point: 7:00 a.m. in front of...
- 07:45
- -
- 08:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 3
Start your day with a soothing yoga session and recharge your energy. The morning yoga session gets your body moving, releases tension, and gives you a clear mind for everything that lies ahead...
- 09:30
- -
- 09:45 p.m.
- Main Stage
Kick off day two of the RETAIL NXT Conference. Be inspired by the outstanding presentations and discussions from the previous day and look forward to more top-notch sessions, innovative...
- 09:45
- -
- 10:15 p.m.
- Main Stage
Many companies know they need to invest in artificial intelligence – but the fear of making the wrong decision often leads to lengthy selection processes and hesitant implementation. Which AI solutions are truly...
- 09:45
- -
- 10:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
How do you integrate point of sale, customer service, and CRM so that the focus is on the sales experience, not the technology? engelhorn demonstrates, using its own IT landscape, how different systems...
- 09:45
- -
- 10:15 p.m.
- Store of the Future
What will AI look like in retail when it truly works? Experience the Store of the Future with a guided tour of our booth – featuring ServiceNow and adesso, from personal interaction...
- 10:15
- -
- 10:45 p.m.
- Main Stage
Sustainability in retail often fails not due to a lack of will, but because of data silos and outdated systems. It's time we considered ecology and technology together! In this session, we'll discuss the harsh realities of...
- 10:15
- -
- 10:45 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
In the past, product search was about helping consumers find what they already knew they wanted. Today, generative AI has transformed discovery into a conversational, multimodal journey, bringing us right...
- 10:15
- -
- 10:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 1
How exactly does AI change the daily work routine in retail? In the "Minerva" project, Thalia demonstrates how AI can support employees in accessing knowledge more quickly, making processes more efficient, and more...
- 10:15
- -
- 10:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 2
In their presentation, Dr. Adrien Marquette and Sandra Mayer will demonstrate omnichannel strategies at Würth using a particularly practical example: programmatic print and the targeted activation of customers for their branches. The...
- 10:15
- -
- 10:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 3
How is autonomous AI changing everyday life in retail? ROSSMANN relies on ServiceNow as its central AI platform, and Agentic workflows are running productively in its core business. Adrian Ewecker and Alexander Roj will take you along...
- 10:15
- -
- 10:45 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
In this session, we will use our own case study to demonstrate how we transformed brick-and-mortar retail step by step from a "black box" to data-driven, measurable marketing and sales processes. During...
- 10:45
- -
- 11:15 p.m.
- 10:45
- -
- 11:15 p.m.
- Store of the Future
What will AI look like in retail when it truly works? Experience the Store of the Future with a guided tour of our booth – featuring ServiceNow and adesso, from personal interaction...
- 11:15
- -
- 11:45 p.m.
- Main Stage
Retail is entering a new era. Customers expect every interaction to be relevant, personalized and immediate, yet many organizations are still held back by fragmented data, disconnected processes and legacy...
- 11:15
- -
- 11:45 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
Customers expect pricing to be transparent and consistent across all retail touchpoints – from Customer APPs to electronic shelf labels (ESL) and price tags to promotions and checkout. We want...
- 11:15
- -
- 12:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 1
In the interview, Simon Gerken explains how hagebau is strategically positioned as a cooperative group, what challenges are currently shaping the retail sector, and how centralized management and decentralized strength can be combined. A particular...
- 11:15
- -
- 12:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 2
Brick-and-mortar retailers face the challenge of reconciling rising customer expectations and complex store technologies with high sales pressure and a persistent shortage of skilled workers on the sales floor. We are convinced that retailers...
- 11:15
- -
- 12:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 3
Every retailer wants a retail media revenue line — most are building the wrong layer first. The ad-serving technology is commodity; what makes retail media commercially credible is the supplier...
- 11:15
- -
- 12:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
Artificial intelligence has been developing rapidly for several years – but the decisive success factor lies not only in the technology itself, but in its sustainable integration within the company. Because true AI transformation...
- 11:45
- -
- 12:15 p.m.
- Main Stage
AI is changing commerce. But this is only valuable if people truly experience the benefits. In this keynote, we'll show how we can view AI not as a technology project, but as an enabler...
- 11:45
- -
- 12:15 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
At Fielmann, prototypes were easy to create, but difficult to deploy securely and compliantly. In this presentation, you see how the Fielmann Delivery Platform turns an idea into a live...
- 12:15
- -
- 13:15 p.m.
- 12:15
- -
- 12:45 p.m.
- Store of the Future
What will AI look like in retail when it truly works? Experience the Store of the Future with a guided tour of our booth – featuring ServiceNow and adesso, from personal interaction...
- 13:15
- -
- 13:45 p.m.
- Main Stage
Enso is the Japanese word for "circle." When attempting to draw a circle, it is never perfect – a popular exercise among Zen monks who try again and again.
- 13:15
- -
- 13:45 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
Every system eventually reaches its limits. Real Garant's central product system had been running for 25 years on an environment programmed in a language for which there are hardly any developers left...
- 13:15
- -
- 14:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 1
As retailers accelerate the use of artificial intelligence across their entire value chain and explore new applications such as agentic commerce, trustworthy data, effective governance, and scalable operating models are becoming crucial...
- 13:15
- -
- 14:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 2
Retailers are investing more than ever in customer experience, innovative store concepts, and digital technologies. However, a gap often exists between vision, implementation, and daily operations, impacting the customer experience. In...
- 13:15
- -
- 14:15 p.m.
- NXT Studio 4
How can retail organizations balance rapid innovation with automated governance? This session will showcase practical examples of the advantages of a central control instance for AI agents and dynamic, self-regulating...
- 13:15
- -
- 13:45 p.m.
- Store of the Future
What will AI look like in retail when it truly works? Experience the Store of the Future with a guided tour of our booth – featuring ServiceNow and adesso, from personal interaction...
- 13:45
- -
- 14:25 p.m.
- Main Stage
The introduction of AI is no longer solely a question of technology. Crucially, companies must learn how to win over their employees to the change, provide guidance, and sustainably embed new ways of working. The panel will discuss which...
- 13:45
- -
- 14:15 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
What happens to the battery in the price tag when it's empty? The presentation shows how retailers can collect and recycle button cells themselves and what's important in doing so.
...
- 14:15
- -
- 14:45 p.m.
- Xpo Stage
- 14:25
- -
- 14:45 p.m.
- Main Stage
Gorilla Sports has gone through insolvency, restructured, and returned to profitability – with around €45 million in revenue, 16 European markets, and a deliberately lean team. Johannes...
- 14:45
- -
- 15:15 p.m.
- Main Stage
Success rarely follows a straight path – neither in competitive sports nor in leadership. But what determines how we deal with pressure, defeats, and unexpected changes? In her closing keynote, Sandra connects...
- 15:15
- -
- 15:30 p.m.
- Main Stage
